Merry Christmas to All Our Friends

We would like to thank all our customers and friends who have made 2008 an outstanding year for The Red Door. The response we have had from both the article in the Ottawa Citizen and our segment on CTV's Regional Contact has been just awesome. Kathy Donovan and the Regional Contact team did an outstanding job and we can't thank them enough.

We have some great plans in the works for 2009. We will be working on a Red Door newsletter chock full of great items for the prim/antique lover as well as continuing to show before and after photos of more great auction finds here on the blog. The drive shed is full to bursting with fantastic pieces just waiting to be rejuvenated and we can't wait to get started on some new projects!!

We wish you all a Safe and Merry Christmas!!

Cheers

Jackie and Terry

Regional Contact

To see the cupboard pictured in the previous post in "before" condition, go to the CJOH website and watch our segment on Regional Contact. Just click on the link...it'll take ya right to it. http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20081120/ott_regionalcontact_Red_Door_081120/20081120/?hub=OttawaHome

Sellers Kitchen Cupboard

We restored this Sellers Klear Front 42 to "showroom condition". Although it looks light blue in this light...it is really gray...a perfect match for the flecked enamel along the edge of the work top. Unfortunately I don't have "before" shots of this one but it had the usual layers of paint to work through and had lost some of it's hardware. If you've had a chance to watch our segment on Regional Contact then you will remember seeing this cupboard in the workshop....it was being worked on when the TV show folks were in to film.

I think this one has to be one of my favourite cupboards...but then again they all become my "favourite".

Cutting a Figure 8

If this cold weather hangs on much longer we'll be skating on the creek before you can say Jack Frost!! You will however need more than one of these prim wreaths if you plan on cutting a figure on the outdoor rink since we only painted up one skate per wreath....so we suggest that you hang one on your door to greet guests instead!! We love the way these turned out and hope to get a few more made up this week.

Let us know what you think....until next time...Keep Warm!

New Winter Creations

This is the snowman we have affectionately named "The Red Door Snowman"....he has been created with arms and without... with a snow shovel and without one...done large and freestanding or a tiny painted version on an old skate. It doesn't seem to matter how we make him up he's just as popular as all get out.

I will post a picture of the skate version a little later...for now I need to stoke the wood stove....brrrrrrr.

Cheers

Jackie

So much to do and so little time

Okay...I should be busy working on shop stuff and not playing around with the blog. The dogs had me awake way too early this morning and instead of using this time productively to finish off half a dozen stitcheries for the shop I'm playing around finding our Fairy Names. I'm Tangle Goblinglimmer and Terry is Buttercup Hailfilter. You can read about us on the left of this page. Sheeeesh...I need a good swift kick in the pants....I should be producing....NOT procrastinating!!! :)

Wait until you see what we got at the Friday night auction!!!!!!!
Pics to follow...as you might have guessed....it is Deer Hunting season and I am again without a camera!!!! We scored the cutest vintage kitchen table, a child's bobsled, a dry sink that needs stripping and restoration and........(saving the best for last) A FLAT TO THE WALL CUPBOARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is amazing and VERY old. Unfortunately it has had a hard life and someone started to (unsuccessfully) strip it. Damn that cousin Ralph!! Looks like we won't be getting down to the nitty gritty of working on it until after the Christmas rush but we will keep you posted on it's progress because it is a rare gem that you won't want to miss!

Hoosiers R Us

Okay...so we are starting to look like a Hoosiers R Us franchise. We can't help it...it has become an obsession of sorts. Really now...could any of you turn this little gem away? It is 100% original....I mean all original hardware, original flour sifter, tambour, door fronts, everything! And best of all...it has never been tampered with....this is the original oak finish.
Usually we pick up stuff that good old cousin Ralph has repaired...you know the kind of repair I'm talking about....the "Don't worry about the broken hinge 'cuz good old cousin Ralph has one that looks almost like the original 'cept that it's got a few coats of paint on it and it's only an inch or so bigger but you'll hardly notice after Ralph works on it." kind of repair. "Oh, and while he's at it he might as well slap a coat a paint on her 'cuz he has a half gallon of chartreuse enamel left over from paintin' his motor home." So you can imagine our delight at acquiring this wonderful kitchen cupboard in pristine condition, because we just aren't usually this lucky. (This one didn't even smell bad.)
It looks great in the shop especially all decked out with vintage accessories.
Don't ya just love the hooked mat in front of it???? I may have mentioned that mat in a prior post...but it is just so folky it deserves a second look!
Stay tuned because we have a couple more kitchen cupboards to show off...they just need the usual 2 weeks worth of reconstructive surgery first...so don't rush off now...ya hear?
Cheers
From The Door

The Pantry Cupboard Make-over Complete

Well....here it is!!!

Hard to believe that this is the same old cupboard that was covered in thick gray porch paint!

If you need to refresh your memory...just scroll down a few posts to revisit the "before" pics of this piece.

After stripping and sanding we painted it in a lovely soft yellow.

Once dry we completed the make-over with our classic museum finish.

We think it turned out just great and hope it's new owner will be just as pleased.

At last weeks auction a reproduction dry sink was on the block...we looked it over...it was nicely done but somehow there was just something missing about it

We dithered over it and finally decided to pass on it. I'm sure someone took it home and that they were tickled pink with their purchase, but it just wasn't a "Red Door" find. It didn't have the warmth and charm of a truly old piece of furniture and that was the thing that was missing. It didn't have a history. It didn't have a story.

So this is the real deal folks...no repros here...just the warmth and feel of yesteryear.

Cheers!

New Display Window at Benjamin Moore and Hollywood Awaits!

So you won't see us picking up an Emmy any time soon...but if ya stay tuned you might just catch us on TV!!

Yessireee...the local CTV channel, CJOH, came out to the shop this week to film an episode of their long running show, Regional Contact.

This show features area artisans and other interesting folk and I guess they figured we fell into one of those categories.

They especially liked the wardrobe as seen here on the blog and hoped to feature it on the episode....this was all well and good except for the fact that the wardrobe wasn't here but was in town holding a rather prominent spot in our Benjamin Moore paint store display window.

Saturday morning found us scrambling to come up with a replacement window display.

TAAAADAAAAAA!!!!!

The "Country Kitchen" window display was the end result of the ensuing pandemonium.

In order to save time and to minimize the inconvenience we were about to cause Denise and Carrie, the great gals at Benjamin Moore, we planned out the display right here in front of the shop. It looks great in their window and even met with the approval of shop cat and head mouser Mr. Binks. (shown seated in the display photo above....he drew the line at spending the next several weeks in town actually becoming part of the permanent display although he did however sign a release allowing his image to be used in this photo)

Our images however are probably on the cutting room floor as we speak and our intrepid cameraman is probably deciding that his impending retirement is not such a bad idea considering what he had to work with here at The Red Door.

We'll keep you posted re: Our TV Debut

Life in the Hand-did Lane or Blah Blah Blah

Okay...just a short post to let you know what we've been up to.

Friday: Auction Night in K-town

The auction was as usual...amusing to say the least. Most of the usual regulars were in attendance with an ample dash of city-folk to amuse us. The newbies stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. We scored big time on a very old plank chair. It has the cracked chippy paint we love and has been distressed to perfection through years of wear. The auctioneer got a tad frustrated by the hesitating/waffling/newbie city-bidder and yelled "STOLE! to number 128!" As simple as that we had snagged it...newbie city-bidder began a stuttering protest that fell on deaf ears...but that's the thing about the auction....come with cash/debit or credit card and be prepared to bid 'cuz at Finnerty's they don't take cheques.

At this point I would normally post a pic of said auction deal of a lifetime...however I am sans camera at the moment. You see I don't actually have my own camera because around here ya can just borrow someones. The husband, who will be henceforth and hereafter known as C, has taken off to the nether regions of the province, bow in hand, on a 3 week odyssey to bond with the fellas and find himself a Swamp Donkey. This ordeal requires 2 wks prep time minimum...umpteen all-terrain vehicles, a couple of generators, enough filled Jerry cans to create a gas shortage in Eastern Ontario and (I kid you not) an apartment size freezer. In addition, C has commandeered every piece of technology this family owns...video cameras, digital cameras and even his lap top computer. (I know...WTH good will that be to him!! Can one connect to the internet by perching atop the highest Black Spruce in Nakina????)

The end result: no pics of beautiful prim antiques until early October.

Don't get me wrong...I quite enjoy this alone time...he works hard and deserves his holiday...but I can't live without a camera!!!

I nearly forgot to tell you about the cute wee humpback truck we acquired on Friday as well. (Ranting like a lunatic gets me off the topic at hand)

It is wonderful and will remain in "as found" condition. Picture to follow. (no kidding)

Saturday: The shop was open as usual...had lots of nice folks in. This was great considering the weather was cool and it mizzled off and on. At one point we noticed a flurry of activity over at the house which included vehicles being moved and Terry's husband and son (we shall refer to them as R and M) running back and forth. As we had customers in the shop at the time we tried to act nonplussed by their nonsensical behaviour....when the customers left M strolled in and shut the barn door....then proceeded to ask us if we could smell him...

It seems that as R and M piled wood in the woodshed they inadvertently trapped a skunk under the woodpile. Don't ask how that is even possible. They kindly extricated the beast after our customers had left, however we had to put up with the after affects of skunk removal for the rest of the day.

No pics of that...nor will there be any.

Lovely Oak Bakers Cupboard

Well here it is as promised. At least I did promise one reader that I would get on with posting a pic of this fantastic old bakers cupboard. Terry picked this little lovely up at auction back in July when I was away on holiday. There were two cupboards in total but she has decided to keep the other one for herself as it looks like it was made to order for her kitchen. Made of oak it is a tad fancier than most of our acquisitions but the punched tin vent holes in the side help to give it a prim look. This is an actual old bakers cupboard that originally came from up Thunder Bay way. It would be nice to know the history behind the furniture but I guess we have to be satisfied with knowing the story will continue.

The Pantry Cupboard Make-over

Yikes....I haven't posted or taken any photos in a while...and it shows! My goodness I must have had a case of the shakes when I took this pic...and all the others for that matter. This is the best photo I have of the cupboard as we start to discover the beauty beneath the thick paint layers. I love the honey pine colour but alas, she was a painted piece when we found her and a painted piece she will remain. A customer purchased it "as is"...so we are refinishing as a custom request and it will be painted to match her kitchen. But don't despair kids...we have a new oak hoosier in the shop and two more painted beauties to play with. One is a Klear Front Sellers, the other is a mystery hoosier, but maybe it's secrets will be revealed during the re-working. Is it too late to rename ourselves "Hoosiers R Us"?

Our Latest Cupboard

This is a "before" picture of our latest cupboard. It is a very old pine pantry cupboard that has seen more than a few coats of paint in it's day. It has great old decorative hinges and was constructed with square nails. Unfortunately, the last coat of paint applied to it was this stiking dark gray porch paint. After I snapped this photo, Terry grabbed the heat gun to see how easily we are going to get the paint off. Well.....it will come off but not without some good old elbow grease. Then of course the next big question will be....what to do with it once we have the old paint layers off. HMMM....maybe the natural pine will look OK.....but I won't put those lovely Aura paint chips away too soon. Stay tuned for the rest of the Pantry Cupboard Makeover.

Cheers

Jackie

What inspires you?

I've just gotten back from a few days away at my Dad's camp. It's a place without indoor plumbing, without telephones and without computers. Going there is stepping back in time...a peaceful time.

It makes me see everything in terms of rugs. For instance this sunset would make a great rug....or...wow, how cool to try to capture that reflection in wool...in a rug of course.
What about that sky? Could I dye wool to make that sky? It's a little pink and a little lavender and what about the white pines? Could I use lots of antique black with a bit of blue and pink and hook what I see?
What about a really big water lily rug?
Or just a rug with lots of water lily leaves....the fallen cedars would look good in a rug too.
A pickerel weed rug? Don't laugh...I was thinking about it. Pickerel weed would look good hooked in a wide cut primitive style. I was inspired by the things I saw and the things I couldn't see. I found this plant at the west end of a small lake...a long time ago when the area was logged, horses were used to pull the logs out of the bush. Along the north shore a team of horses must have fallen through the ice. My dad told us where to look....parts of the old sleigh can still be seen in about 10 ft of water along the north shore. The day we were there it was breezy and we couldn't see it because there were too many ripples on the surface but I can imagine what it looks like. I think there's a rug in that story too.

Look for inspiration everywhere and take a camera wherever you go.

'nuf said

Hooked Runner

This runner looks great on the make-do secretary desk. The colours are a perfect match (completely unplanned). Sometimes it is so cool to work on a primi piece and then find other random pieces that just have a great fit and the look is just perfect. I guess the best plan is not to over-plan and let the creative juices flow!!

This is a fun little runner made for the most part with my scraps and a hit-or-miss border. 100% recycled wool, hooked in an 8 cut, it was quick and used up some odds and ends. Mostly experiments at the dye pot that didn't quite turn out as I had hoped found their way into this little mat. I think it's cute as the dickens!

Cheers

Jackie

A View of My Garden

With all the summer flowers in full bloom I thought you might like to see my primitive garden. I say primitive because it isn't at all formal and you will find weeds but the Hollyhock, Lavatera, Daylillies and Bee Balm looked so pretty that I had to take a few photos to share. With all the rain we have had the garden is a riot of colour. The weeds have enjoyed the season as well and have gotten ahead of me as they usually do. Perhaps I need to stop and appreciate the Milkweed and Queen Ann's Lace as they seem so insistent upon having a place in the garden.

At any rate, this is a little colour to brighten your day.

Cheers

Jackie

Ann and Andy Chill Out

Raggedy Ann and Andy spent this rainy afternoon chillin' in the rocking chair. This duo are sporting non-typical raggedy attire dressed in light green...so fashionable with their rust coloured hair!! Ann's tie and Andy's pants are sewn from black-green homespun. We put them right at the door because they are so very sociable and love to greet customers when they come in the shop. :) Prim dolls are so much fun to play with....a nice change to work the soft stuff in between refinishing projects.

If we get much more rain around here we will have to change our woodworking focus to arc building!

Take care folks and if ya live in this neck of the woods try to stay dry!!

Cheers

Jackie

Small Mustard Washstand

This is an extremely primitive piece that is really old as the hills. I don't have to tell you that it was acquired at auction because you know us by now....it was either acquired at auction or hauled out of a dumpster!!! LOL I should have taken a "before" pic...but I dropped the ball on that...just imagine the most homely wee cabinet, extremely dirty and sporting a coat of flat paint in reddish-rust. Terry washed it up and decided to repaint it with our favourite old mustard, leaving it slightly distressed and then waxed. You will notice that the door is slightly askew...but that really adds to it's primitive charm. This is an oldie with square nail construction and rough boards slightly out of square. All I can say is it is 100% charming. Topped off with an enamel bowl and water pitcher it's rustic charm just can't be improved upon. Lucky for us that the folks attending the auction that night had absolutely no vision!!

Showy Lady's Slipper

Last week, Kaitlin and I donned long pants and long sleeves on a day that was too hot and humid for the devil himself. Oh yes, I forgot to add that we were sporting rubber boots and had thoroughly marinated our gorgeous selves in Deep Woods OFF. We did all this just so that we could navigate our way through field, brush, thick woodland and finally swamp to bring you this special treat...a picture of the rare and in some places endangered Showy Lady's Slipper. We found some real beauties but we won't say where...

Cypripedium reginae

Did I Mention that June was Grad Month???

Alannah, the baby of the family, graduated from St. Michael Catholic High School on June 24, 2008. Here she poses with her two sisters and Mr. Finner, a favourite teacher. Alannah was the recipient of the Hal Anthony Rotary Scholarship as well as the Founder's Award. The latter being awarded to a graduating student who demonstrates the Christian values upon which the school was founded....Kaitlin argues that Alannah would never have been given the award if the governing panel had to live with her..."she's probably wearing my underwear right now!"
Ahhhh, the joys of raising up 3 girls!! Is it any wonder my hair is gray??? LOL :)

Another Grad!!!

Congrats Emily!!!! Terry and daughter Emily pose for a photo at Brock University where Emily received her Honours Bachelor of Phys. Ed. Way to go Emily...that's "our" girl. In addition to this fine accomplishment Em was also on the Dean's List. Emily is continuing her studies at Lakehead University in the fall where she will study for her Bachelor of Education. Another proud mama takes a fine pic on a glorious day!!! ....Terry cleans up real good too!!

Roadside Wardrobe Becomes a Unique Canvas

Terry picked up this wardrobe along the side of the road. Yup...that's right.....it was sitting at the end of a lane way with some other worthwhile finds. You know the old saying...one mans junk is another mans treasure!!.....we really take recycling to the next level.

When Terry brought it back to the barn it was a musty old thing with a bad paint job and wallpapered panels. She stripped it down and sanded the dickens out of it. Before long it was ready for a coat of Yorktown Green and then the big question....what to do with the front panels once the wallpaper was removed??? Paint "Old Town Kemptville" of course!!! Using a copy of the towns centennial book for reference, Terry painted the town in a naive folk art style. The Presbyterian church and the Bank of Ottawa building are featured on the lower half of the doors while a pastoral farm scene complete with sheep and herding dog grace the top. This is truly a one-of-a-kind cupboard...stay tuned for more trash to treasure items coming soon.

Cheers

Jackie

Kemptville Saturday Night

Welcome to a Kemptville Saturday Night!! We call this the "Congratulations Grads, Welcome Home Matt, Summer Solstice BBQ and Annual Christmas Tree Burn". It may go by other names where you hail from....but no matter where you're from we hope you appreciate that it is bound to involve lots of beer and the handiwork of a few of our favourite pyromaniacs. After all, if the flames aren't leaping at least 20 feet into the air you run the risk of biting insects (mosquitoes) infiltrating the party. Anything less would just be a smoldering mound and we would all succumb to smoke inhalation..... :)

June is Prom Month!!

Friday June 13 was also Prom Night for my youngest daughter Alannah!

All three daughters pose for a pic before Alannah leaves for her evening. It certainly was a busy week what with Alannah's prom and Kait's grad on the same day....not to mention the fact that we celebrated Alannah's 18th birthday on Thursday. Needless to say I did absolutely nothing at the shop Thurs/Fri......oh well.....some milestones just can't be missed!!

Cheers

Jackie

The Red Door Celebrates...June is Grad Month!!!

On Friday June 13 we attended the 132nd Convocation at Carleton University where daughter Kaitlin received her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in English and Art History. Both Terry and I are proud mamas this year as we watch our children graduate. (It's hard to believe really....since I'm not a day over 29....where has the time gone?.....) Kaitlin will continue her studies in September at University of Ottawa where she will be working toward her Bachelor of Education.
Congratulations Kait!!
Love Mom

Terry With Preston "The Little Iron Horse"

Meet Preston! Preston is one of three handsome Canadien horses who own Terry. They allow us shop space in their barn but we know they are the real stars of the place. This photo was taken on Thurs. evening just before they went for a little ride.

If you would like to learn more about Canada's National Horse check out www.lechevalcanadien.ca This site will give you the history of the breed and there are some great photos too.

Life Outside of the Shop includes our Animals

Even Willow the energizer Labrador is finding this sudden humidity a bit much. I thought I would get some gardening done this morning before heading to the shop but I'm breaking a sweat just cleaning up the kitchen.
The look on her face is saying..."no really you go play in the dirt with the mosquitoes...I'll just stay here." This is just so strange for her because she is an in your face, none stop, high energy, run like a deer mutt.

Good-bye Dear Friend

SOLD

On Saturday morning our lovely kitchen cupboard left the shop to begin it's productive new life in a cottage kitchen in Quebec.

Selling a piece like this is really bittersweet. I know you must be rolling your eyes at that statement but for us it is true. In the words of auctioneer Ken Finnerty, "Where are ya gonna get another one!!"

Terry and I buy at auction, create and make the things we ourselves love. To say we get attached to the items we have in the shop is very true...we love what we have and what we do...that is what makes going to the shop fun and not drudgery.

When someone comes along and they too love a piece that we have worked on it is very gratifying. When they dig out their hard earned money to buy something we have worked on it really makes us feel honoured.

It is a good feeling to know that someone else fell in love with this old piece and that it will have a special place in an "old time" kitchen. We will miss having it with us but it has gone to a good home where it will be cared for....now we have a little room freed up for our next big "find".

Until next time...

Cheers

Jackie

Very Primi Bed

I thought you might enjoy seeing a picture of this great old bed we found. It has lovely chippy paint....you can just make out a little bit of blue peeking through the green in this photo. Aside from washing it up it remains exactly as we found it and makes a great prop to display old quilts on. We have the bed rails but we don't have the space to set it up at the moment. It looks really great just standing in the corner! The colour is one we've nicknamed Great Depression Green...and best of all we didn't have to distress it!

Antique Dresser Finds a New Home

This wonderful old dresser was acquired at auction on Friday night. It has beautiful grain and a fantastic bevelled mirror. We really didn't have room in the shop and were going to have to do a major re-arrangement to find the perfect spot for it. But, while we were trying to decide how best to display it this lovely lady made our work easy by deciding it should go home with her. (And she was even a good sport about posing with the dresser and agreeing to appear here on our blog!)
Randy gave us a hand with loading it up although in this picture it would appear that Terry is doing most of the work!! We aren't sure if he's pondering the meaning of life or scratching mosquito bites!!

Traveling Road Show

The Red Door takes the show on the road!! The wonderful gals at our local Benjamin Moore Paint and Decorating store offered to let us set up a display in their window. Such a great opportunity for us...we were nearly speechless. The barn is a great heritage location that is chock full of character but we are somewhat off the beaten path. Needless to say we were thrilled to have been given an opportunity to showcase some of our work "in town". What with gardening season getting into full swing we decided to pack up our milk cart in the back of the truck and grab our birdhouses, garden stakes and signs and head to town....hillbilly style!! LOL
Terry posed as we loaded up...I thought she should ride shotgun in the back a la Granny Clampett but she declined....apparently she thought that was a bad idea seeing as how she even put on make-up for the grand event.
The 3rd and 4th pics are of the completed display...I probably shouldn't have tried to take a pic from the outside because of glare but I wanted you to get a feel for the view from the sidewalk.
Stay tuned for further updates!
Cheers
Jackie

A Few New Things We've Been Working On

Now that the nice weather is here we've really been in the mood to make garden prims. We took advantage of the beautiful sunny day to make a display outside the barn and I just had to take a few photos for the blog.

The "Herb" sign is a stave from a barrel that Terry picked up along the roadside last weekend. I left the original pale yellow paint and just gave it a light sanding before doing the lettering. It looks brighter in the photo than it really is. It looks a little bumble bee like in the picture (the dark striped areas are actually the unpainted oak that was under the metal bands that held the barrel together). The rest of the signs are plain pine boards that I've crackled before lettering up to give them a nice aged appearance.

Terry constructed the rustic bird house from some rough sawn lumber that was up in the loft. She gave it a thin coat of Yorktown Green and then antiqued it with a little dark walnut stain. The roof and the star on the front were both cut from rusty tin that was salvaged from the Matt Arcand homestead house just down the road. The girl really needs to get herself some new tin snips before she loses a digit....and some heavy gloves wouldn't hurt either! A couple of horseshoe nail perches and it was complete.

The crow and birdhouse on the cedar rail will make great additions to any garden. I can hardly wait to see a set in the shop garden.

All in all a very productive weekend considering we were off our stride with not going to the auction on Friday night.

Well folks I'm off to get a little hooking in before hitting the hay.

ttfn

Jackie

Found Items and Make-do

You can just never tell what interesting pieces will find you when you keep your eyes open. There is an auction in town every Friday night...we attend....always hopeful that a deal will come along but never expecting it. Because we don't expect to find anything exciting we are never disappointed when we come home empty handed. The small lantern, the crock and the pine box all came from the auction. Nice little additions to the display.
Once in a while we come across items that someone else is just tossing out. The drop leaf enamel top table and the yellow rocker that you see in the picture are examples of 'one mans garbage is another mans treasure'. Driving a bus isn't all bad....it puts me at the right height to see into dumpsters....and that is how we came upon both of these treasures. (And no...I didn't pull over and toss this stuff into the bus!! Although it did cross my mind, I came back later in the truck with Terry in tow.)
Much of what we do depends on our ability to envision an old cast off transformed into something wonderful again. A good example would be the portion of oak barrel lid that Terry used as a canvas for her adaptation of a Currier and Ives winter scene.
Just this afternoon Terry and Randy picked up a small barrel (the stave's will make great sign boards), and a butcher block that is beyond repair but it has great turned legs that will make magnificent spindle Santa's. All of this great junk was sitting at the end of a driveway waiting for someone with vision to come along.
Love what you do and be open to all the possibilities. Make every day the best day ever.
Cheers
Jackie